Damien's Story

My name is Tyler, I’m 14 and my Dad passed away from a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

For as long as I can remember my Dad wanted to be an organ donor. And the story of how Dad became an organ donor started 33 years ago.

My Dad lost his youngest sister to leukaemia when she was 10. He was only 12 when she passed.

She needed a bone marrow transplant, so they first tested the family’s bone marrow for any matches. Dad was very upset when he found out that he wasn’t a match. This started the chain of events that led to him becoming an organ donor.

At the age of 17, when Dad got his licence and they asked him if he wanted to be an organ donor, everything clicked. He remembered what happened to Rachel and was in the frame of mind that if he couldn’t help his little sister than he would help someone else.

I can remember when I was younger looking at my Dad’s licence and asking what an organ donor was, and he explained.

Dad was a family orientated man. He lit up any room he walked into just with his smile. People knew Dad as a friendly man that was easy to get along with and someone who would drop everything to help those in need.

My Mum said that one of the easiest decisions she has ever made was confirming that Dad’s organs could be donated. Dad donated both lungs, both kidneys, his liver and his pancreas. I know that Dad would be happy that he was able to help four people continue their lives.

Many people that we know have changed their minds about organ donation because of Dad. I hope that in sharing Dad’s story, I can encourage people to have discussions with their families about organ donation.

“What good is burying or cremating my remains without first seeing whether my organs could be of use to someone else? It would be such a waste if another life could have been saved or improved.” – Anonymous.